AUG 20 — MCA Youth chief Senator Chong Sin Woon shot off a stinger at Datuk Razali Ibrahim, a deputy minister in the prime minister’s department, when the latter suggested that vernacular schools could be a hindrance to national unity leading to racial division.
Chong asked Razali to quit if he can’t accept the GE13 manifesto which stated that the BN government would continue supporting the development of vernacular schools.
It arose from urgent requirements for more Chinese primary schools to be built in Johor. These are the Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina), commonly referred to as SJKC, and the Tamil type, as SJKT.
They are designated national-type schools. The BM medium is known as Sekolah Kebangsaan or SK. They are known as national schools.
The vernacular or national-type schools have been a serious bone of contention with Malay rightists for years. Their argument is simple — how can a nation have two education systems?
1Bahasa the end-all towards nationalism?
The Razak Report 1956 provided for four different language mediums of instruction. English was dropped by the early 70s.
There has always been an uneasy relationship between the Education Ministry and the Dong Zong (United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia or UCSCAM), the umbrella body of SJKCs and Chinese Independent Schools.
Dong Zong’s gripe is the extremely low budget allocations of 3.6 per cent from the 9th Malaysian Plan (2006-2010) to cater to the 1,300-odd schools whose enrolment constitute 21 per cent of the total primary school population. It is estimated that 12 per cent of the nearly 600,000 students are non-ethnic Chinese, with Malays being the majority.
Through the years the consistent shortfalls by the authorities with regards to the management of national -type schools have caused suspicions to be solidly embedded; that the government wants this school system abolished.
The mission of the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-15 is seen as a hidden agenda to marginalise the national-type schools. Dong Zong is completely convinced that the 1Negara, 1Bangsa, 1Bahasa, with the “1Bahasa” as targeted to have only one language medium.
A huge percentage of the national-type school students advance to the secondary national schools and they move on to sit for the SPM. Being conversant in Mandarin is no more just of “mother tongue” sentimentality.
It is a commercial lingua franca, next to English. We must interpret the 1Bahasa agenda in a pragmatic manner, meaning to prioritise BM rather than to downgrade Mandarin. If we cling to 1Bahasa’s literal sense, then how are we to defend the Bumiputra status where the 1Bangsa target is concerned?
Being tri-lingual with two of the languages spoken by the world’s two largest economy places Malaysia in an advantageous position. Increasing trade is a nationalist endeavour.
The UEC
The Talib Report in 1960 proposed the conversion of Chinese secondary schools into English medium ones. Sixty of such schools refused and until today are known as the Chinese independent schools. Twenty-five are in Sabah and Sarawak.
Their grievance is that the A-level equivalent UEC (Unified Examination Certificate) organised by UCSCAM is not recognised by our public universities for admission after some 40 years of existence. The irony is that UEC is accepted by many top universities worldwide, whose degrees are recognised by our Public Services Department.
What I think of nationalism
It starts with accepting; not tolerating, diversity, inclusivity and pluralism. Then only can nationalism truly thrive.
Why is the Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes so bandied about with pride by the Britons and the Americans, even though the government and political leaders are constantly slammed and cursed?
The 2012 Merdeka celebration theme of “Janji Ditepati” (Promises Fulfilled) is still etched in my memory. How can our nation’s independence celebrations be hijacked for a political message? Is it a wonder the flag is mostly displayed only in government buildings?
Return the Jalur Gemilang to the rakyat, forthwith. When there is a will, there is a way. How about passing on the organising baton of the Merdeka celebrations to the rakyat?
Peter Ueberroth created history in turning a profit with a glitzy spectacular show during the 1984 Summer Olympics. He also gave a new meaning to volunteerism. So many folks took time off across the USA to work for free in support of the LA games. Since then all organising committees try to outdo each previous games.
Nationalism is about the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology flying the Malaysian brand in 12 campuses across three continents. It is about Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa engaging all faiths to promote goodwill and harmony. It is about the pride and legacy of the Victoria Institution and keeping the name intact. Nationalism is defending the MAS brand but critical about how it has been managed. It is about the work in NUCC. It is about Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, Zainah Anwar and Ivy Josiah in their Quixotic pursuits, and, Datuk Lee Chong Wei and Datuk Nicol David flying our national colours.
Above all it is about good family values, which will permeate the nation.
To deliberately cause division and disharmony through a warped interpretation of history is anti nationalism.
The authorities must re-think their funding for societies which champion ethnicity. They must remain as private initiatives, lest Malaysia be accused of having state-funded racialism. It would be an unkindest cut, self-inflicted.
Postscript
The majority numbers, the population growth trend and the federal constitution guarantees that the Malay race can never be marginalised in Malaysia. Only Malay votes can install a non-Malay government leader, and the same Malay votes can unsaddle him as quickly.
I think Malays can only fear “losing” out to Malaysia-ism, and that’s fine, isn’t it?
This year’s Merdeka Day celebration theme “Di Sini Lahirnya Sebuah Cinta” (Here Lies Love) gets my kudos. Well done, Communications and Multimedia Minister!
* This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.
